A key area of the Adirondacks could soon be open to the public for camping and hiking for the first time in decades.
Officials with the conservation group the Open Space Institute (OSI) recently announced the acquisition of the 1,525-acre Sabattis Scout Reservation in Long Lake, New York.
Located within the Adirondack Park, the property includes historic campgrounds, ponds, hiking trails, and several miles of shoreline along Lows Lake.
OSI officials said their conservation of the land will help expand public access to outdoor recreation in an iconic Adirondack landscape and advance long-term efforts to maintain forest connectivity and conserve wildlife habitat.
“Properties of this size, ecological value, and strategic importance are increasingly rare,” said Erik Kulleseid, OSI’s president and CEO. “By saving the Sabattis Scout Reservation, OSI is safeguarding one of the Adirondacks’ most significant natural areas and helping ensure that people will continue to enjoy this remarkable place.”
OSI purchased the property for $2 million from the Scouting America – Longhouse Council, which previously operated Sabattis Scout Reservation as a summer camp.
OSI’s acquisition sets the stage for the property to be opened to the public for the first time in decades—a goal long sought by local communities.
Bordering Lows Lake, one of the Adirondacks’ premier paddling destinations, the property includes an extensive network of roads, trails, campsites, and waterfront access points.
Officials with OSI said they intend to sell the land to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Once transferred to New York State, the property could serve as an eastern gateway to DEC’s Five Ponds Wilderness and help expand recreational opportunities beyond the High Peaks region.
During OSI’s ownership, the property will remain closed to public access.
“We’re proud to partner with the Open Space Institute and look forward to providing future opportunities for New Yorkers and visitors to paddle Lows Lake, hike historic trails, and enjoy nature in this environmentally significant natural area,” said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton.
Surrounded by the Five Ponds, William C. Whitney, and Round Lake wilderness areas, as well as Cranberry Lake Wild Forest, the Sabattis property fills a gap within one of the Adirondack Park’s largest networks of protected lands.
According to an OSI analysis, the property is “above average” for forest connectivity and habitat diversity, helping link large blocks of forest that allow wildlife to move across the landscape and adapt to changing weather conditions.
